Courtesy of bellaandrew.com
Today, my plan was to feature a video interview with a newly published romance author, but as we all know plans have a way of changing (particularly when we’re surfing the web). My research for newly published authors led me to e-publishing which led me to this interesting video interview with Indie Bestselling author Bella Andre on “Self-publishing, community, and marketing”. Since two of the ladies plan to attend an e-publisher reception at RWA this year, I found this interview particularly interesting. In fact, I’ve begun to rethink my (old) mindset that self-publishing=vanity publishing.
If you have ten and a half minutes to spare, have a look. And hey, if you have a few minutes, come back and post your thoughts on e-publishing and self-publishing. Would you consider it? If so, why? If not, why not?
Here’s Bella Andre.
It’s a different world these days! Most of my friends who are traditionally published have already started self-publishing or are seriously considering it, in lieu of or in addition to trad pub.
I think Bella Andre will be at RWA Nationals, as will Marie Force. I’m going to attend their (and other) self-pub sessions. One of the biggest problems I have right now is having so much information to parse through. Just when I think I’m getting a handle on some aspect of it, I’ll see a discussion on a self-pub loop and think, ‘Wtf? I didn’t even know [insert topic here] was a thing’. I definitely need a step-by-step ‘self-publishing for dummies’ type of book. Of course, it would have to be updated constantly because things change so often and so quickly!
You’re way ahead of me, Nancy. When I see a discussion on self-pub I’ve traditionally ignore it :-). Those days are over. I’m considering jumping on board the e-pub train by attending the publisher (not sure which one) reception with you and Justine.
I enjoyed the link, Kat, thanks! I subscribe to the interviewer’s blog (Joanna Penn / The Creative Penn) and I find it very informative and useful.
Kay and I went to Bella Andre and Barbara Freethy’s self-pub workshop at last year’s Nationals. They are so huge now, it was a little daunting to hear about their process, but I really enjoyed myself and I’ll definitely go to more self-pub presentations this year. I also follow the RWA Industry and Self-Pub loops and like Nancy, I’ve learned how much there is to learn 🙂
Interestingly I just saw (at Amazon) that she’s with a publisher now. I assume that’s because she needs to off-load the business side of things so she has time to write.
I know she got a print-only deal with Harlequin (maybe only for the Sullivan series). I believe she still indie-publishes digitally
I am a lousy marketer. I was a Mary Kay Lady in college, and I think the only thing I sold to a non-relative was one lousy lipstick. So, I’m not crazy about holding down a dayjob, writing, AND being a marketing/advertiser.
OTOH, self-pub would mean that I could publish shorter pieces (which may be my natural style). I think I could produce a quality product; the real question would be if I could promote it?
OTThird Hand, if I’ve got a dayjob, what does it matter if I make any money out of the deal? Short pieces, written for fun, undiscovered by anybody beyond the Eight Ladies and maybe a few of our readers who are curious enough to click through . . . . When I lower the stakes like that, it suddenly becomes a much more attractive deal, to tell the truth (-:.